Best Free-to-Play NFT Games
Top Free-to-Play NFT Games:
Gods Unchained — ranks first in almost all independent ratings of free-to-play NFT games;
Splinterlands — this free-to-play NFT game is essentially a clone of Gods Unchained;
Axie Infinity — the game does require initial investment;
Cryptokitties — the game is 5 years old and it is still trending;
Chainmonsters — this NFT game resembles the popular Pokémon.
Play-to-earn NFT games first appeared in 2017. Canadian CryptoKitties built on the Ethereum blockchain was the first game of this kind (in fact, it is still popular). In 2023, the NFT games reached a fundamentally new level. They are now available on all platforms: Windows, Linux, Android and iOS. There are paid and free games, with a possibility of withdrawal and conversion of crypto into fiat money. Genre diversity is amazing: action, RPG, strategies, quests, whatever your heart desires.
Considering that there are 3 billion games in the world, and the development of the cryptocurrency industry, the Metaverse and non-fungible tokens in particular, the appearance of free-to-play NFT games was just a question of time. And the future is here and you can earn money on it. We will tell you in detail what free-to-play NFT games are, how to earn money in them and discuss the Top 10 most popular projects.
Start investing in NFTs now with ByBit!What are NFT games and why they are popular
In order to understand which free-to-play NFT games hold the most promise, you need to start with the basics. NFT means a non-fungible token. This is the name of a crypto coin that cannot be equivalently exchanged. This means that there is only one copy of it, which is why the value of such tokens is higher than of traditional cryptocurrencies. However, the value of NFTs is determined not only by their uniqueness. The price of a non-fungible token also depends on the market sentiment and external factors.
For example, if we talk about digital art, the works of a popular digital artist (for example Beeple) will be worth much more than an NFT associated with an artwork of a lesser known artist. Likewise, when we look at virtual land, which is also represented by NFTs, an ‘empty’ square in Decentraland costs much less than a developed one, especially with a gaming location or a GUCCI gallery.
Free-to-play play-to-earn NFT games emerged because non-fungible tokens started to gain popularity, and also due to the development of the Metaverse concept, which appeared long before Mark Zuckerberg renamed Facebook into Meta. The Metaverse now covers all areas of digital reality: from finance to art, with NFTs playing an important role in these areas.
The thing is that NFTs are based on smart contracts. Under such a contract, specific actions are taken only when the conditions specified by the parties are performed. For example, a buyer receives an item only after he/she transfers money to the seller. And the other way around, a seller receives money only after he transfers the item to the buyer. A smart contract is executed simultaneously and cannot be influenced from the outside. This rules out the possibility of fraud and guarantees that only one user, the owner of the smart contract, holds the title to an item.
What do NFT games on a phone or computer have to do with that? The NFT games have many changeable parameters, for example, character specifications, equipment items, objects with temporary effects, pets. All of them can be represented in the form of an NFT and then exchanged and sold with conversion of cryptocurrency earnings into fiat money.
Types of NFT games
The idea of NFT games was born in 2012 with the release of Diablo III. On the launch of this RPG game, it included a free auction allowing players to sell or buy an item for the in-game currency, which in turn could be bought for real money through micro-transactions. Diablo III did not make some new discovery in this sense, but it was where Blizzard used the idea of free exchange/sale of items between players using real-world money (fiat) for the first time.
Five years later, when NFTs became an integral part of the global cryptocurrency system, Canadians from Dapper Labs decided to make a mass product, i.e. an NFT game for Android (Diablo III could only be played on PC, and the auction was later closed). Dapper Labs decided to play on all the latest trends. First, they built their game on the Ethereum blockchain that tried to actively compete with Bitcoin at the time. Second, their game is a dApp, i.e. a decentralized app.
Third, they created a complete NFT game. What does it mean? We will use a specific example to explain. The game mechanics involve breeding virtual kittens (similar to a modified Tamagotchi). Every kitten is an NFT token. It is a non-fungible token and cannot be transferred to another user without the consent of the owner. Most importantly, two kitties can ‘produce’ a third one that will be represented by an NFT token. This is how the owner can earn money.
At the start, the most expensive crypto kitten cost USD 117,712. The largest sale took place on May 12, 2018, when a virtual kitten was sold for USD 140,000. This should tell you something about the profitability of top NFT games.
The most important thing is that all cryptokitties (i.e. NFT coins) are owned not by Dapper Labs, the developer, but by Axiom Zen that creates kitties on the Nifty license. This is the license that gives the right to the users that ‘breed’ kittens to own new kittens, but not use them outside the app. They can, however, sell them and withdraw funds to a crypto wallet and then convert them to fiat.
This is how the free-to-play NFT games emerged. As of now, such titans of the gaming industry Square Enix, Ubisoft, Konami, Epic, Capcom and EA have already released or plan to release such games. There is no discussion yet about the AAA-class project, with the majority of the games being dApps for mobile devices. It makes sense as we are living in the era of portable devices and many people are not used to playing on Android or iOS, not on PCs. Nonetheless, there are free-to-play NFT games for personal computers as well.
Criterion 1 – Platform
There are NFT games for Android, iOS, Windows and Linux. There are next to no projects of this kind for gaming consoles (maybe only The Six Dragons and Alpha Kombat). The majority of the games are for mobile gadgets, the examples being Cryptokitties, CropBytes, Splinterlands. They require only a smartphone, and not particularly a powerful one. They are mostly rather simple games with mechanics that are easy to understand within 20-30 minutes.
Client games for desktop usually have a more advanced graphics engine, which means they look nicer, although the mechanics are also simple. The examples of such games include Gods Unchained, Vulcan Verse, Star Atlas. Note that there are cross-platform games available for both mobile and desktop, for example, Axie Infinity.
You can find browser projects among free-to-play NFT games, for example Battle Racers, Gold Fever, CryptoBlades. They do not require installation. However, the games of this category are almost never in 3D format; they are mostly card games or with a simplified graphical interface. Another category is projects with VR support. Among them Somnium Space is a clear flagship.
Criterion 2 – Format
The best NFT games are divided into two categories depending on the commercial model. The first model is P2E. In such games, a user must buy his/her first NFT token and then earn without further investments. Axie Infinity is an example of a game in this category. The drawback is that you need some money to start. The benefit is that the games of this category are of the elite kind; the community there is less toxic and more serious and the earning potential is higher.
The second model is F2P. The examples include Play Mining, Arc8, Crazy Defense Heroes. The biggest benefit of these games is that they are absolutely free, which means that a player can start earning without the initial capital. The disadvantage is that they have simpler mechanics than P2E games and their community is less friendly and the earning potential is lower.
Criterion 3 – Blockchain
There are many options here. Top NFT games run on the Ethereum blockchain, for example Axie Infinity and Decentraland. There are projects that are built on Tron (CropBytes), EOS (Upland), WAX (Alien Words) and other blockchains. Games on Binance Smart Chain are gaining popularity, for example Mobox, one of the top projects of the platform.
It is difficult to tell which blockchain is better. The more popular blockchains are potentially more stable, but, for example, although Tron is seriously behind Ethereum in terms of capitalization, CropBytes that runs on it is one of the most popular NFT games. Therefore, in terms of the blockchain criterion, the game should be chosen based on the current market condition and personal preferences.
Other criteria
Paid and free NFT games can be divided by genres: action (CryptoPlanet), adventure (Worldwide Webb), arcades (BombCrypto), farms (CropBytes), pet breeding (Genopets), Metaverses (The Sandbox), and strategies (Splinterlands). A genre is chosen strictly at the discretion of the gamer, there are no more or less priority genres.
The one thing to take into consideration is the status of the game. For example, there are active projects (Axie Infinity) that already have the full functionality. It is beneficial to register in the games at the presale stage (Vox), because then you can get unique bonuses. Games in the alpha and beta testing stages (Noa and Cronic) do not provide an opportunity to earn money immediately, but in the long term, registering at this stage will provide players with benefits.
Always choose NFT games, where you can withdraw money. These projects allow players to withdraw earned money to external crypto wallets. All of the above games have this feature.
Best free-to-play NFT games
There is an incredible diversity of old and new NFT games. There are over 500 of projects of all genres on aggregator websites. We have collected the best NFT games with an option of money withdrawal based on user reviews and expert analysis. One of the criteria was the F2P format of the game, which means that you can play and earn in these projects without making investments.
Gods Unchained
Gods Unchain ranks first in almost all independent ratings of free-to-play NFT games. It is a multiplayer trading card game. The game mechanics involve building your own deck of cards to fight with other players. Wins improve players’ rating, opening access to harder battles with unique cards as a prize. It strongly resembles Hearthstone and its clones.
Every unique card is an NFT token. The exceptions are starter cards. A player can create a copy of a unique card for Flux (in-game currency) and ‘mint’ the card on the Ethereum blockchain, turning it into a non-fungible token that can be sold at a marketplace. It is important that players playing against each other have similar decks, which means that you cannot buy many cool cards and win all the time.
Splinterlands
This free-to-play NFT game is essentially a clone of Gods Unchained. Players here also assemble decks and battle each other, improving their rating and a chance to win a unique card. You can get cards by buying random boosters or buying the cards from an NPC seller for in-game currency. Not cards, but decks are converted into NFTs.
Unlike Gods Unchained, this game runs on the Hive blockchain, not Ethereum. There are several unique mechanics, like seasonal rewards and leveling up of cards. The important feature is that a player’s rating does not drop if he/she loses. This encourages players to battle more, as they do not risk anything.
Axie Infinity
Do be surprised that we included this project in the free-to-play NFT games rating. The game does require initial investment, but first things first. The game genre is pet simulator and strategy. Players breed and collect creatures, Axies (like Axolotl salamanders), form teams of them and battle each other for rating in the arena.
These creatures are NFTs bought and sold at an integrated marketplace. The first team of three creatures can only be bought. The price depends on the market; it’s USD 200-500 on average for three creatures. All transactions are performed in the governance token, AXS, which can be withdrawn to an external wallet, if necessary.
So, what is this project doing in our rating of the best free-to-play NFT games? The thing is that the administration supports the following practice: a new player can strike an agreement with a ‘game veteran’ for the latter to give him several creatures to start for a share of future profits. It is easy to find a player who is prepared to help you start playing for free on the official Axie Infinity forum or in specialized communities.
Cryptokitties
Despite the variety of new NFT games with unique mechanics, Cryptokitties are still quite popular. The game is 5 years old and the fact that it is still trending speaks volumes. It is also a pet simulator, but without battles. A player receives the first pair of kitties for free, feeds them, takes care of them and as a result, they bring new kitties. All cats, except for the first two, can be bought and sold. Each represents an NFT.
The kittens differ in appearance and rarity. Rarer ones are obtained from complex combinations of pedigrees. And there is also the generation criterion: the higher it is the more unique characteristics the creature has. Every action of a player requires Tether, but everything is more than paid off if you manage to sell a rare cat (also for Tether).
Chainmonsters
This is a unique project in many ways. It is currently at the stage of alpha testing, but you can already play the game for free. This NFT game resembles the popular Pokémon. A player travels the world, catches monsters, grows them and participates in tournaments. For each action he pays with the in-game currency, which he earns for achievements and victories. All Chainmons, the monsters, are NFTs that players will be able to sell.
The peculiarity of the game is in its scale. The game card is already available on Stream and other major platforms. The release is planned for early 2023. The versions for PlayStation and Xbox are expected to come out around the same date. In addition to monsters, all in-game items are represented as NFTs, including equipment for battles. The game runs on the Flow blockchain.
Guild of Guardians
This is a new NFT game released in 2023. It is a MMORPG in a fantasy setting. At the moment, the pre-alpha testing is in the final stage; the game is being developed for Android and iOS. It is fully free.
The mechanics of the game involves building a team of Guardians and passing dungeons with raid bosses in the end. While passing the dungeons and in the final battle, a player receives resources to ‘craft’ rare items and characters. The items and characters are NFTs, bought and sold at the in-game marketplace.
The trick of the game is that you can pass dungeons only as a part of a guild formed by groups of players. The more players in the guild, the higher is the reward. The game features many additional mechanics, including pets and boosters. It runs on the Immutable X blockchain and requires connecting the MetaMask wallet.
Blankos Block Party
This is a new NFT game released in 2023. It is a free-roam open-world multiplayer action. A player is given a virtual avatar, and he is tasked with simple assignments (find a location, kill a monster, etc.). For completion of these tasks, he receives Blankos, which are cheap NFTs. At the end of the chain of tasks, a player receives a more expensive NFT (usually a new avatar).
There are tournaments between players, the winners of which also get Blankos. There are many mechanics in the game that allow you to earn either NFTs or BB (in-game currency you can use to buy or sell NFTs). The game is exciting and entertaining and with nice graphics. The game is available for Windows and MacOS.
Illuvium
The game is auto chess like League of Legends Teamfight Tactics. The difference is that all characters are captured in a gaming world and represent NFTs that can be bought or sold. The in-game currency is ILV (it is a token of the Ethereum blockchain).
The game is currently at the stage of open beta testing and is available on PCs. It looks original and interesting, with many mechanics and winning strategies. It requires perseverance and developed logical thinking. Earned ILVs can be withdrawn to an external wallet, and characters can be sold at the marketplace.
Mir 4
Mir 4 is pretty much the only NFT game that is approaching the AAA-class. It is fully 3D with excellent graphics and it is cross-platform, which means it can be played on a PC, Android or iOS device. A player chooses one of the classes and participates in various PVP and PVE events, including raids of up to 50 players.
For achievements, a player receives in-game currency called Darksteel, which can be exchanged for DRACO. It is a token issued by WeMade that can be withdrawn and converted into other crypto or fiat money. However, it is not the basis for players’ earnings. The thing is that high-level characters are NFTs, which are freely traded at an integrated marketplace.
Coin Hunt World
This is not an NFT game, but it is rightly included in all similar ratings. It is an augmented reality MMO, something like Pokémon GO! Players explore their cities using a digital map and collecting virtual keys.
When a player has enough keys, he/she is prompted with a trivia question. If answered correctly, the player is rewarded BTC or ETH. The game is free and the earned money can be withdrawn, although to reach success you will have to run around your city.
How to withdraw funds from an NFT game?
Free-to-play play-to-earn games allow players to withdraw their earnings to external cryptocurrency wallets. The game naturally charges a fee for the transfer. The sequence of steps in the majority of games is the same, but the algorithm may considerably differ, because the used blockchain networks, integrated services and wallets are different. There are also differences for the versions on different platforms.
We will use an example of withdrawal of funds from Axie Infinity, if you play on Android and use Binance wallet. Note that the cryptocurrency funds of an Axie Infinity player are held in the built-in wallet Ronin. It is recommended to withdraw funds to MetaMask; the simplest way is to install the browser extension. The sequence of steps is as follows:
Download Kiwi browser from Google Play and install it. Open the browser and go to the Google Chrome store, find MetaMask using the search bar, select it and click Add to Chrome.
Click on the icon with three dots in the top right corner of the browser. Open the MetaMask extension, select Create Wallet. Follow the instructions on the screen (come up with a username, password and a security phrase that you need to save in a secure place).
Repeat the same actions for the Ronin Wallet used by Axie Infinity, i.e. find it in the browser extensions list, download, install and register a wallet.
Using Kiwi browser go to the Axie Infinity website and select Marketplace in the main menu. In the top right corner click Sign In and enter the information of your Ronin Wallet. Click Next and Connect. Enter your email and password for Axie Infinity.
In order to withdraw funds (SLP) make sure you are logged on to MetaMask and Ronin on your Kiwi browser. Once you sign into your account on Axie Infinity, click Claim Tokens and Confirm. Your SLP will be transferred to your Ronin Wallet within several minutes (not instantly).
In your Axie Infinity account, go to Bridge and select Withdraw. Go to your MetaMask, copy the address of your Ethereum wallet as the recipient in the withdrawal section. Click Asset and select SLP. Enter the amount of SLP you wish to transfer then click Next.
The Ronin wallet will ask you to confirm the transaction, which could take a few minutes. Then click Confirm Through MetaMask and confirm. Your withdrawal is complete. Remember that you will need some ETH on MetaMask for gas fee. Do not click Pending Withdrawal; it will speed up the process, but double the gas fee.
If you don’t have an account on Binance, download the app of the ecosystem on Google Play and register. Pass verification. Go to the Wallets tab and select Spot. Click SLP and then Deposit.
Go to MetaMask. Click Send and paste your SLP address. Specify the amount or click MAX to withdraw all SLP. Click Send, then Confirm. The funds are now available on your Binance account.
As you can see, you cannot withdraw the NFTs from Axie Infinity. However, you can sell non-fungible tokens inside the platform for SLP and withdraw it to Binance or other wallets. After that, you can use the funds from the NFT game at your disposal, for example, exchange them for another cryptocurrency.
Example of trading SLP. Go to the Trade tab and then click SLP/USDT. Next go to the Sell tab and click Market. In the tab with the amount, you can select how many SLP you want to sell. Confirm the transaction and the chosen SLP amount will be sold. In return you will receive USDT at the current market rate. Next you can transfer your USDT to your P2P wallet on Binance and sell them for fiat at zero fee.
What is the best place to trade NFTs?
Best marketplaces to buy NFTsDeviating slightly from the topic of free-to-play play-to-earn NFT games, it is worth saying that trading non-fungible tokens is a rather profitable business. Naturally, you have to know the market trends, and be able to assess the risks and choose assets. It is like investing in securities, only even more volatile and with its own nuances. One of the key nuances is the choice of a reliable platform for trading NFTs. Here are the top platforms based on use rating.
Binance
This is one of the largest blockchain systems. It is based on the namesake cryptocurrency exchange, where hundreds of coins are traded. There is spot, margin and P2P trading, swap farming, fan token, derivatives (futures and options). In terms of passive income options, the platform offers staking and farming; additional options include cryptocurrency lending, quick replenishment with a card, auto-investing, etc.
Binance has its own NFT marketplace, where NFTs, NFT collections, including for dozens of games, such as StarSharks, LoK, Age Of Gods and others from the IGO group are traded there. The total value of certain collections exceeds USD 200 million (for example for StarSharks, CyBall and DeRace). Considering the popularity of the platform, Binance is one of the most beneficial solutions if you want to trade NFTs.
OpenSea
This is the oldest NFT marketplace launched in 2017. At the moment, only non-fungible tokens of ERC 721 standard are available here. Direct purchase/sale and putting a token up for an auction are possible. It is recommended that your account is linked to MetaMask. OpenSea is planning to switch to the Flow blockchain and introduce commission without the gas fee in the near future.
At the moment, this is the most highly valued NFT marketplace – as of 2023, the platform is valued at USD 13.3 billion. There are thousands of non-fungible tokens here, mostly digital paintings, music, photos and NFTs from games. There are also specialized dApps and entire virtual worlds.
Rarible NFT
This marketplace was launched in 2020; the current daily traffic is around 2 million unique users. It is known for being the platform where celebrities (for example Lindsay Lohan) post their NFTs. This distinguishes Rarible from OpenSea, which hosts mostly artists who are the authors of NFTs for sale.
The platform works with Flow, Solana, Tezos, Polygon, and Ethereum. It features digital art, animation, and photography. It is an open source marketplace, which means it is managed by the community. Users point to a large choice of assets and intuitive interface. At the moment, integration with OpenSea is being implemented.
FAQ
Is there free NFT games?
Yes, there are free NFT games available. However, not all NFT games are free, and some may require an initial investment to participate.
Are there any free NFT games play-to-earn no investment?
Yes, there are free NFT games that allow players to earn rewards without making an initial investment. Some examples include Axie Infinity, My DeFi Pet, and Alien Worlds.
What are the best NFT games to earn money?
The best NFT games to earn money can vary depending on individual preferences and the current market conditions. Some popular NFT games that offer the potential to earn money include Axie Infinity, The Sandbox, and CryptoBlades.
Are there free-to-play NFT games?
Yes, there are many NFT games that allow you to earn money without initial investment, for example Gods Unchained, Cryptokitties, Mir 4.
On what platforms can play-to-earn NFT games be found?
These are mainly the games for mobile devices with Android and iOS operating systems. There are also projects for Windows, macOS and even gaming consoles.
How to withdraw earned money from an NFT game?
Different games have different conditions of withdrawal. The projects mostly have their own marketplace and wallet. A player sells NFTs on the marketplace, transfers the money to the in-game wallet and then to an external wallet.
What are the best places to trade NFTs?
There are special marketplaces where also NFTs of the best games are traded, for example Binance and OpenSea.
Team that worked on the article
Ivan is a financial expert and analyst specializing in Forex, crypto, and stock trading. He prefers conservative trading strategies with low and medium risks, as well as medium-term and long-term investments. He has been working with financial markets for 8 years. Ivan prepares text materials for novice traders. He specializes in reviews and assessment of brokers, analyzing their reliability, trading conditions, and features.
Rinat Gismatullin is an entrepreneur and a business expert with 9 years of experience in trading. He focuses on long-term investing, but also uses intraday trading. He is a private consultant on investing in digital assets and personal finance. Rinat holds two degrees in Economy and Linguistics.
Gismatullin has been an author at Traders Union since 2019. His focus is creation of detailed reviews of brokerage companies and cryptocurrency exchanges, as well as analytical and educational articles on finance.
Rinat’s motto: Always be open to new experiments. By overcoming the hardships you will reach the stars that open to those who seek.
Mirjan Hipolito is a journalist and news editor at Traders Union. She is an expert crypto writer with five years of experience in the financial markets. Her specialties are daily market news, price predictions, and Initial Coin Offerings (ICO). Mirjan is a cryptocurrency and stock trader. This deep understanding of the finance sector allows her to create informative and engaging content that helps readers easily navigate the complexities of the crypto world.